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Communities urged to apply for free tree saplings

Ellen Knight and Hattie Rennisonin Shrewsbury
BBC Photograph of Marston, who is looking at the camera and smiling. She has shoulder-length blonde hair, and is wearing clear-framed glasses. She is wearing a dark purple knitted jumper with two gold necklaces. She is pictured standing near a river, with a large weeping willow behind her. The ground is covered in fallen leaves, and the sky is grey and overcast. BBC
Councillor Sarah Marston said the project was "really positive for communities"

People are being invited to apply for free trees to plant in schools, communities, parish councils and farms.

More than 20,000 saplings are available through the Shropshire Community Tree Scheme - a joint project from Shropshire Council and Telford and Wrekin Council.

It is funded by Defra, the Tree Council and net-zero company Carbon Footprint.

"It's amazing, it's something really positive for communities," said councillor Sarah Marston, portfolio holder for communities and the environment.

The project is part of the wider Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) for Shropshire which aims to boost biodiversity and protect the natural world.

Under the 2021 Environment Act, every local authority must develop one of these plans to promote biodiversity and restore nature in their respective areas.

Marston said the tree project put that LNRS into action and would provide habitats for wildlife, help with flood defences and provide shade during hot weather.

Getty Images Stock photograph of a row of 13 saplings planted along the perimeter of a fence. The saplings are being protected by Tuley tubes. Behind the fence/saplings is a green field, with a row of coniferous trees along the far edge. There is strong sunshine and the sky is blue. Getty Images
Farmers can also apply for the free trees, which can be used to create hedgerows

She said it would be "exciting" to see people "putting the saplings in their community gardens or their allotments, or schools" and the scheme had always got a "good response" in the past.

"We usually run out of trees," she added.

People can apply for trees to plant in their communities - as opposed to in private gardens - on the council's website until 6 December. Trees must be planted by 21 February 2027.

A wide range of species is available, including oak, birch, willow and beech, with different "bundles" of saplings designed for different habitats.

Lynn Parker, who leads the LNRS for the council, said: "Making sure the species mix suits the location is really important."

Ellen Knight/BBC Photograph of Parker looking into the camera and smiling. She has shoulder-length light brown hair, and is wearing a white collared shirt and a grey woolen cardigan. Behind her are about four large beech trees, and the ground is covered in fallen leaves. Beyond the tree line is a large, green playing field. The sky is blue and cloudy, and slightly overcast. Ellen Knight/BBC
Lynn Parker said the project wants to see "the right tree, in the right place, for the right reason"

Organisers are particularly keen for communities to apply for orchard trees and "forest gardens" - a patch of land featuring "canopy level" trees with berries and herbs growing at the base, explained Parker.

The latter would yield a similar amount of food to a traditional orchard of the same size, she added, and both need "long-term care and commitment to help them establish".

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